Minnesota ranks high in black murder victims

The Violence Policy Center just released a report on what it is calling a "national crisis" of black homicide victims. FBI statistics for 2005 were studied and Minnesota tied New Jersey for 16th largest rate of black murder victims per capita.

The report also highlights these bleak findings:

Blacks in the United States are disproportionately affected by homicide. For the
year 2005, blacks represented 13 percent of the nation’s population, yet accounted
for 48 percent of all homicide victims. For the age groups 15 to 19, 20 to 24, and
25 to 34, homicide represents the leading cause of death for blacks in America.
As noted at the beginning of this study, the devastation homicide inflicts on
black teens and adults is a national crisis, yet it is all too often ignored outside of
affected communities.